Margaret vs Megan
Margaret and Megancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1974, Margaret was ranked #93 and Megan #30 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Margaret was ranked #80 and Megan #30 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Margaret was ranked #135 and Megan #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Margaret was ranked #244 and Megan #384 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Margaret was ranked #418 and Megan #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Margaret was ranked #413 and Megan #816 among girls in England and Wales.
Margaret and Megan over time
Margaret and Megan appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Megan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Margaret in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Megan in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Megan moved into the top 50 at #27 in 1968 as Margaret fell out of it to #58, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1968, Megan moved ahead of Margaret in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #38 and #47 the year before became #55 and #52.
- Longest-running competitions
Margaret and Megan were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #413 and #816.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Margaret #119 in 2000, Megan #4 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1976–2025
Margaret held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Megan in 30.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #6 in 1976, Megan #8 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Margaret #135, Megan #352.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Margaret held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Megan in 27.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #357 in 2020, Megan #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2023: Margaret moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #442 and #342; by 2023 that had become #490 and #516.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Margaret #413, Megan #816.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1997–2022
Margaret held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Megan in 24.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #119 in 2000, Megan #4 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Margaret #418, Megan #266.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1958–1974
Margaret held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Megan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #9 in 1958, Megan #30 in 1974.
The order changed in 1968: Megan moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #38 and #47; by 1968 that had become #55 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Margaret #93, Megan #30.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 1962–1984
Margaret held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Megan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #21 in 1962, Megan #18 in 1974.
The order changed in 1968: Megan moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #43 and #52; by 1968 that had become #58 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Margaret #80, Megan #30.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Margaret | Megan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From Latin Margarita, from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl' — likely originally borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language. Associated with Saint Margaret, a 4th-century martyr and patron saint of expectant mothers. | A Welsh diminutive of Margaret that became independently used; only regularly used outside Wales since the mid-20th century. |
| Origin | Greek | Welsh, diminutive of Margaret |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ | /ˈmɛɡ.an/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Meghan, Meagan, Maegan |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Margaret is recorded with a Greek origin, while Megan is recorded with a Welsh, diminutive of Margaret origin.
- Margaret has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Megan.
- Margaret's recorded meaning differs from Megan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Margaret a "medium" Data Confidence level and Megan a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Margaret
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #173 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Megan
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #816 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls